Assemblywoman Jane Corwin (R-Clarence) has been unanimously selected by Republican committee leaders as their candidate for the 26th Congressional district. The seat was most recently held by disgraced Congressman Chris Lee. Corwin has served in the New York State Assembly since 2009, is a former businesswoman and independently wealthy. She is in town today in what appears to be the start of a campaign tour of the Congressional District.

Exactly what is the criteria to be termed independently wealthy? The selection does make sense in regards to Corwin being able to infuse much needed cash into her race. After all, a special election does not offer much time for a candidate to amass the funds needed to run a campaign. Corwin’s personal wealth does offer financial incentives to the party bosses who selected her.

The wealth issue is unsettling to say the least. Was the seat sold to the highest bidder? The Tea Party leaders may think so. But the harsh reality is races cost money and the current system encourages those with the ways and means to pursue elected office. A candidate with a nice portfolio is a draw. According to Republican leaders, Corwin’s voting record and business expertise were the key factors in her selection.

Maybe the race will become more interesting if Tea Party leaders decide to nominate a third party candidate? They seem quite enamored with Iraqi war veteran David Bellavia of Batavia. Either way the Tea Party should feel snubbed and may try to flex some campaign muscle as the race heats up. The Democrats have yet to nominate a candidate and have been pretty quiet on the race so far.

Corwin was selected over eight other candidates last Sunday. Apparently, the candidates were interviewed by Republican Party committee chairs. These discussions did not include leaders of the Tea Party. That oversight could generate some political sparks since it was leaders from the Erie County Tea Party that strongly supported Carl Paladino’s candidacy for governor. The Tea Party leaders were hoping for a more public selection process but were forced to contend with the results of a secret, backroom process instead. After all, I thought the back room selection process, minus the cigar smoke these days, is how we roll here in New York.

Will her candidacy foreshadow the next Presidential campaign? Other national ones? Can the mainstream Republicans and the Tea Party parties co-exist and work together to elect an agreed upon candidate? Will there be a political schism created like the one between the Conservatives and Republicans? Those questions alone make for interesting political fodder. So what happens in the 26th Congressional District may shed some campaign insight in races over the next two years.

All of this talk is still quite premature as Gov. Andrew Cuomo has yet to call a special election for the seat. Gov. Cuomo is not required by law to do so and the people of the 26th Congressional District could wait as long or longer than those in the 29th seat. Then Gov. David Patterson dithered for so long that the election for that seat took place on the General Election Day. There are no primaries in a special election and independent nominating petitions can be circulated to create a new line on the ballot.

For now the Republicans are all revved up with nowhere to go and the decision to call a special election rests with Gov. Cuomo alone. If a race is to be held, I hope he decides quickly and does not delay for our sake. We’ve watched another rising star fall from the sky and simply want to know we have a representative serving us in Washington.

Times they are a changing. As the opening of the mother of all big box stores inches closer to Northgate Plaza one cannot wonder what the overall impact of its opening will be. Despite the demolition, I’ve noticed some real positive changes along Dewey Ave. The new benches that line the street are a nice touch and the increased synergy of revitalized storefronts make for a refreshing and inviting feel in this section of town.

The business owners and residents can take great pride in spearheading such a reawakening along the Dewey Avenue corridor. I commend the Town of Greece for anticipating the change in traffic pattern and considering rezoning that section of Dewey Avenue for mixed use.

Being proactive and anticipating increased traffic flow is a good thing. How many times have you tried to turn left out of a street you’ve travelled a hundred times? Now you cannot do so because the increased traffic flow makes it near impossible. I remember my mother-in-law waiting to make a left out of Latta Road and she’d finally be so exasperated that she would just floor it and go.

Monday, February 28, the Dewey Avenue Mixed Use Committee is holding an informational question and answer session and the public is invited. The meeting will be held at the Barnard Fire Department from 4:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. There will be presentations from the two consultants on the project, Steinmetz Planning Group and Ingalls Planning and Design as well.

The opening of Wal-Mart will be interesting to say the least. I give Casey’s Hallmark Store and other independent vendors so much credit for staying put. Hopefully this post will encourage all of us to buy local and support your small business neighbors. A free market will support what the consumer demands and the elimination of small independent store does nothing but limit our choices and homogenize our options.

How many times have you been looking for a unique or special gift? After a few visits to the big boxes you quickly grow tired of seeing the same old wares plied over and over again. So while we all await the arrival of you know who we can do our best to not only survive the onslaught but we can beat it by supporting the business you’ve known all along.

As I prepare to post this blog I am thrilled at the ease of today’s technology. I am out of town during the February recess and with a lap top can stay current on my posts. You know how it is, you leave town for a few days but before you go there is a checklist of items to accomplish. Mine included: putting a hold on the mail and the newspaper, delay the garbage pick-up, board the dog, etc. All of these tasks were accomplished with minimal or no hassle except for the temporary hold on the newspaper.

I visited the Democrat and Chronicle website and looked for a hot button or prompt that would allow me to put a hold on the paper. Nothing. I even tried the search key which resulted in no results being found. So I resorted to the old fashioned, yet tried but true method of making a telephone call. When was the last time you used the phone book? I rarely, if ever, look up a telephone number these days. I Google, reverse look-up or just type in the name and hit enter. Well, I called the D&C and then learned that to request a hold on delivery of the paper you could do it by voice prompt or on-line by visiting www.MyNewspaperService.com. Does that seem obvious to you? I would never have come up with that site in 20 guesses or less.

So after I stopped the delivery via phone, I decided to check out the website for future reference. I could not believe the hassle the on-line service is. Apparently, the site is a clearinghouse for newspapers from all over the country. You select your publication and go from there. You have to create a user name, know your account number and then complete your request. To be quite honest, I have no idea what my account number is. I was able to provide my telephone and street address over the phone to access my account and request the temporary hold. I stopped my exploration of the on-line service at that point. By then I defeated my purpose of doing these tasks quickly and moved on to the next item on my checklist.

I was genuinely surprised with how difficult the stop hold option is. Hey folks, even the United States Postal Service has an on-line hold option for mail delivery. I am not sure if any organization wants to be outdone by the much maligned post office. So while our technological advancements do make life easier and information is truly at our fingertips there is always room for improvement.

That question is always asked by teachers, partners, bosses, etc. What can we do better? Do you have a suggestion on how we can improve the existing method? There are very few, if any, scenarios in life that are perfect and maybe a suggestion to make the web site fully customer friendly will be heeded. Why not include all the service options on one site? Maybe even providing a link to the website to request a temporary hold would be an improvement? Just food for thought.

Many years ago I was travelling to San Francisco and was reading the NY Times Magazine which included an article about the month of August and the ensuing craziness that occurs on Long Island, NY, during the dog days of summer. The author dove head first into the “Long Island Lolita,” the incident of medical waste washing up on the shore and other bizarre topics. I was struck by the symbolism of the article and the approaching spring time in Greece. Springtime means school budget proposals and in Greece more than craziness often ensues.

As we are knee deep in the cold and snow of winter, a few warm days remind us that the end of the season is dawning and spring tine is beckoning to us. Well, for some reason the approaching spring also seems to awaken the superintendents of the Greece Central School District. Now the superintendents can be full-time, interim, retiring – the status does not matter – it is the time of year and the proposals that (s)he is tossing around for the board of education’s consideration that help to usher in spring.

Interim Superintendent John O’Rourke presented his vision for the district at the Feb. 7th school board meeting. To me, his proposals appear to be a bit like Prego Spaghetti Sauce – you know, “it’s in there.” Some of his concepts are new and some have an all too familiar ring to them. He wants to take a serious look at the open enrollment process for signature schools in grades K-5, eliminate open enrollment options for grades 6-12, do away with transportation options for students to babysitters or day care programs and other cosr cutting ideas. The proposal that took me most by surprise is the one to teach only math and English/language arts to K-5 students in the 2012-13 school year.

Of course, O’Rourke’s proposals were not entirely conceived by him. Instead they were the result of a series of committees made up of a broad spectrum of stakeholders from across the district. These included parents, business leaders and teachers who have been working on these proposals and others since July. The next step is for the school board to study the recommendations, hold public hearings and formulate a budget for the upcoming school year.

Remember, these are recommendations and nothing has yet to be finalized. As a matter of fact, the finance committee has yet to even consider the superintendent’s proposals. Well, to me, that is the crux of the matter. The news from Albany is not good. Each and every school district in the state will be forced to contend with less. Here at Greece Central, we are no exception to that fact. A district of our size and complexity is sure to have more than its far share of anxiety in how to make the numbers work.

Does that mean reducing the already limited choice many parents and students hold dear? As I look with great pride and admiration at the wonderful programs in the offering from our district like “Phantom of Opera,” “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang,” and “Cinderella.” to the superior athletic ones, I am forced to wonder how will elimination of choice affect future programs like these? Each and every school does not offer the same programs to its student population. We are a district of four high schools and middle schools, double digit elementary school and aside from the city school district, which other local education body serves such a diverse student population?

The fact of the matter is that school choice and open enrollment offer parents and students alike a voice in a system that is large, unyielding and created to serve the needs of many and not the nuances of the individual. The public school system is not the most flexible entity in town. How can it be when its charge is to educate over 12,000 students? What it can offer is a bit of creativity and empowerment to those that it serves. The choice to attend a school across town that meets the particular needs or interests of that student make the “system” a little more user friendly.

We all know that corners must be cut and real cost saving measures implemented if we are to survive the continued economic duress of today. The committees looked at many different options and it will be interesting to see which ones are affected once the numbers are run. The Superintendent and board are charged with achieving in a balance in a scenario that most of us would not envy.

As a matter of fact, I think the manner in which the school budgets are managed is a farce. This is the only budget – aside from our household one where we actually have a say on what stays or goes. We do not have any direct voting power on our local, state of federal budgets. Even in the school budget, we have no say on the cost of state mandates, the cost of pensions and other benefits offered to school personnel. These are big ticket items that are set in stone. Sure, we can try and elect officials who most represent our point of view but the actual say we have is grossly limited.

So now is the time for each and everyone of use – the stakeholders in our community to speak up, state our case and work to make sure our voices are heard. The health and success of our local school district sends a strong message to businesses and families looking to settle here and adds to the vitality of our community. A well educated student body transforms into our community decision makers of the future. Let’s work together to give them the opportunity and choice to succeed in that endeavor.

Congratulations to the Greece Montessori School as February marked the official kick-off of the school’s 40th Anniversary Celebration. The festivities opened with a Grandparents Tea where the children prepared the tea and treats, decorated the tables, served their grandparents and proudly showed off their school.

Welcome to my school, Grandma and Grandpa. In recognition of 40 years as an education body in our town, the Greece Montessori School welcomed grandparents to a tea held in their honor.

Grandparents and grandchildren,
Together they create a chain of love
Linking the past,
With the future.
The chain may lengthen,
But it will never part.
- By Unknown Author

A few grandparents share an opportunity to work with some practical life materials while attending the Grandparents Tea at the Greece Montessori School.

Forty years ago a group of less than 20 parents gathered to form the Greece Montessori School. The original school met in the basement of a local church and now has four classrooms and offers the Montessori education method for children ranging from 18 months to six years of age.

What makes the Greece Montessori School so special is its people. The classroom instructors and assistants provide such a calm and nurturing evironment that the students simply flourish there. However, the glue that truly holds the school together is its Administrator Rosa Piccirillo. Rosa has been involved with the school since her children were students. She volunteered in the classroom and then underwent the Association of Montessori Internationale training to become an administrator. When my children attended the school I had the opportunity to meet with and work with Rosa. More times than once I heard her exclaim “this not my job it something I love.”

Ms. Rosa as she is affectionately known works tirelessly for the success of the school. Her passion and leadership has guided the school from a small two room facility to one that boasts close to 90 students. So I congratulate Rosa, the staff and the students as they celebrate 40 years.

Plans are underway now for the 31st Annual Hilton Apple Fest. This year’s celebration is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 1 and Sunday Oct. 2, 2011. The event features an arts and crafts show that appeals to many taste and offers such wares as woodworking, ceramics, jewelry, clothing and more. Aside from the juried arts and crafts show, the weekend long event also offers musical entertainment, activities for children and food.

The food features just about every apple related delicacy one can imagine as well as the typical outdoor fare you would find at festivals. On Sunday, if you time it right, you can indulge in a helping of the world’s largest apple crisp which is baked rght there on the premises. An apple pie baking contest is also held and all you would be bakers are encouraged to register.

Another contest held each year is one to select the official Apple Fest logo. The winning graphic will be featured on sweatshirts, tee shirts, signage and other festival related goods. The contest offers a $100 prize and a sweatshirt bearing the logo to the winner.

The rules for the contest stipulate that the design must be an original concept, not copywrited and be able to be used for embroidery and silk screening. Applicants may submit more than one entry and the overall artwork should emphasize the apple and its importance to the festival and the Hilton community as a whole.

The 2010 Hilton Apple Fest Contest Winner was Ben Rockafellow, 13, of Hilton. Ben is a Boy Scout in my son’s troop and his design featured an basket full of apples with a bumblebee buzzing by while celebrating the 30th Anniversary of the fest. Here are a look at some other past winners:

The 2009 Hilton Apple Fest Contest Winner was Joe Luciano of Hilton.

The 2007 Apple Fest Logo Contest Winner was Bobbi Prince of Hilton.

The mission of the Apple Fest is to promote Hilton apples, the apple growers and residents in the village. The food booths are staffed by community service organizations throughout the community and include the Hilton Rotary Club, Lions Club, Girls and Boy Scouts and others. The entertainment includes local performers and school groups, dance schools and other family orientated entertainment.

The deadline for the logo contest is on or before Friday, March 18, 2011. All entries must be submitted by mail and not electronically (via email or facsimile). Once a design is submitted, they become the property of the Hilton Apple Fest.

The entries can be mailed to: Hilton Apple Fest, Attn: Logo Contest, P.O. Box 1, Hilton, NY 14468. If you would like more information, please call 585/392-7773 or visit the organization’s website at www.hilton-applefest.org.

Riiiiiing! The alarm goes off. Is it just another Manic Monday? Well it could be if you have forgotten that this Monday’s angst is amplified because it’s Valentine’s Day. Okay all you procrastinators it is not too late to make your sweetheart happy this Valentine’s Day. You can be just about anywhere in town and still manage to pull of the perfect Valentine’s Day Gift. Take a cruise down Long Pond Road and when you see Rocky the Gorilla with his bouquet of flowers you’ll be at Rockcastle Florist. Trust me this is the place to be. Flowers, gifts, cards, chocolates and more abound at this floral institution in Greece. The creativity and originality of an arrangement from Rockcastle Florists is sure to impress.

Aside from Rockcastle, you could continue to Latta Road where you will find Blanchard Florists. Blanchard’s also offers a gift shop bonanza that will help quell your fears about finding the perfect gift. Remember, it is not too late. Walk-ins are welcome and you can still arrange for delivery if you want to go for that real WOW factor. Across the street from Blanchard is the Latta-Long Pond Wegman’s where you can do all your Valentine’s Day shopping in one place. Plus pick up lunch. a prescription or just a cup of coffee. Fortunately you can find a Wegman’s in a few locations across town.

One of my favorite shops to find unique and priced right gifts is Faris Pharmacy. The card selection is vast, the gifts are one of a kind and this small store has been a cornerstone of our community for years. Still looking? Well, let’s go back on Long Pond and stop in at Solutions Studio and Spa. Solutions provides such a wonderful escape from reality with its soothing aura, full spa services and top notch service. A spa gift certificate is great for men and women and our town offers many spas options to choose from.

Now you are across the street from the Mall at Greece Ridge Center and with its many card shops and boutiques ranging from the tame to the outrageous. Here you can find a thing or two. Is chocolate the key to your paramour’s heart? Well head east on Ridge Road to Stone Ridge Plaza and make a stop at Andy’s Candy for some homemade chocolate. A gift from Andy’s will indulge even the sweetest of sweet tooth’s and the selection goes far beyond candy hearts.

If you find yourself on Dewey Avenue stop in to Casey’s Hallmark store for more card, gift and candy selections. The card, gift and candy combination is the true Valentine’s Day trifecta. The presentation of one or all three of these tokens of love are a sure win-win for even our most Cupid challenged gift giver.

How about a romantic dinner? Being a Monday it is advised to call ahead to see if your favorite restaurant is open today. I imagine most will be offering romantic fare tonight and your choices range from the very casual to a more formal atmosphere. You can choose between the Lamplighter Restaurant, Barnard’s Grove, Forest Hills, Basta Pasta, Chinatown, Critics, Applebee’s, Olive Garden and others. If you choose to make this a family affair you have Schaller’s, The Char Broil, Five Guys, Friendly’s or Mickey D’s among the many, many choices all over town.

Still not satisfied? Well, may I suggest the big kahuna of Valentine’s Gifts? Jewelry. That’s right, the bling the better, some say. Although one of my favorite sayings is the best gifts come in small packages. Preferably light blue with a white ribbon, oops, back to my suggestions. On Ridge Road you will find The Source, Heritage Jewelers and the mall is full of stores catering to sparkly gifts. Other smaller shops include Burke & Bannayan Jewelers on Long Pond Rd., and Krikorian and Company on Dewey Ave., are just some other creative options.

As for me the most special Valentine’s Day gifts include the low-key, homemade and heartfelt ones. I treasure the lace doily hearts covered in dried paste presented to me by my children. The poems written in childish scrawl are packed away with my most memorable keepsakes. Why not try cooking a home cooked meal? Light a few candles and dig out those romantic tunes you both love. A few other options include, writing a poem, running a luxurious bubble bath or just sitting in front of the fire. Whatever you chose, and the suggestions are endless, it is the time and effort you put in that is most appreciated.

So now, you have no excuse as to not being able to think of anything. Take a deep breath, plot your course and happy planning, hunting and shopping. Your Valentine will be thrilled and the evening will simply be a bit lovelier. The most important thing, is Valentines Day is just one day out of the year. What matters most is to take the time and make the effort to make everyday a time to honor and recognize the one you love. That is what it’s all about. Happy Valentine’s Day.

Sometimes you observe a situation and you just know it is right. You can observe and watch the success of a situation when all the right pieces are put in place. That is the sentiment I have in watching the incredibly positive transformation of the Greece Police Department.

Greece Police Chief Todd Baxter has just completed his first year at the helm of what was once the most dysfunctional police force in the county. Externally the department was treated with skepticism and hostility from a community reeling from one outrageous police related scandal after another. The department was rotten from the top down and if any agency needed an overhaul the Greece Police Department was it.

As Chief Baxter wraps up his first year he can look back with pride and relief in the very obvious changes his police department has undergone. With the opening of Precinct 2 on Maiden Lane, I decided to make a visit to the new office and see what the Chief had to say and his future plans for his department.

Acting Lieutenant on Days Mike Roffe and Records Clerk Debbie Ogletree discuss a case as they settle into the new Precinct 2 of the Greece Police Department.

We talked for almost an hour and I was very impressed with Chief Baxter’s openness, sincerity and excitement. He clearly articulated his benchmarks for success and his leadership ability is evident. The first thing he did was reorganize the department with a bilateral checks and balances system that requires accountability from different levels of the department. While he is clearly in charge, he has effectively and wisely delegated authority to qualified officers in his stead.

The most exciting news is the hiring of new officers. A year ago only 78 officers made up the force, while the charge of the department called for 94. To date, 18 new officers have been hired and four of those are new recruits. When queried about his plans for 2011, he clearly articulated where he is headed: 1) restore the Town of Greece to being one of the safest cities in the United States. We held that ranking years ago and are currently ranked at 20. Chief Baxter sees that an attainable goal. Last year, there were five homicides in the town which was most unusual and statistically is not expected to be replicated.

2) Continued community involvement and outreach efforts. This is being done now and Chief Baxter sees no change in this very effective strategy. The police force is funded by the the Town of Greece and Baxter is wisely searching for and securing grants to allow for a greater community presence. One of these recent grants is a domestic violence prevention program that allows for officers to follow up on reported domestic violence cases. They visit with the families and can provide information on counseling and other victim’s assistance programs. These are the types of preventative measures that not only address a very real issue but helps to keep the police in touch with their community. And they work!

3) Increased morale within the department. This will be fostered through expanded training opportunities for officers, the revised administrative changes and celebraton of the department’s accomplishments. The recent recognition dinner held celebrating this year’s success of the Greece Police Department is an example of this strategy being put to work.

Baxter’s energy and positive outlook are contagious. At times the language he used was similar to what you would hear from a CEO of company discussing: benchmarks, a balanced scorecard; accountability and other high level mangement techniques that are necessary to the success of any organzation. Meanwhile his presence as an effective and determined leader is evident to those around him.

So with his engaging smile and down to earth approach to his job, Chief Baxter is looking forward to the continued success of his department. He is clearly excited by the fact that officers and recruits now want to serve in the Greece Police Department. The recruitment of good officers is competitive and Greece now has a perceived edge in that process. Increased diversity of the department is also on the to-do list. Currently there are three women on the force and included in the new hires were African-American and Latino officers.

Many of us forget how incredibly large our town is. The geographic spread of the town is vast and with a population near 100,000, we encounter all the issues that come with a community of our size, complexity and diversity. The biggest crimes the department contends with are nuisance ones, like car larcenies but last year’s triple homicide is a reality the police force will encounter.

My visit ended on a personal note that took me by surprise. As a Board Member of the Bivona Child Advocacy Center, I know first hand about the incredible investigative services the department provides to the victims of child sexual and physical abuse and their families. The two lead officers in these cases are Sgts. Mike Roffe and Chris Bittner. Chief Baxter had to excuse himself and he asked Roffe to give me a tour of the precinct. Now I only heard of Sgt. Roffe, so I was thrilled at the chance to finally meet him and personally thank him for the great investigative and compassionate work he provides to Bivona. I learned at that time that Sgt. Roffe is Acting Lieutenant Roffe for a few months.

So as the ribbon cutting approaches for the Grand Opening of Precinct 2 we can all share in the sense of pride and accomplishment in our police department. Keep up the good work.

Well here we go again folks. Yet another politician caught in quite a peccadillo and we’re all left shaking our heads. By now most of us know that Rep. Chris Lee has resigned from Congress due to shirtless photos that appeared on the Gawker website. Apparently he was involved in a Craiglist Courting escapade and flirting with a woman from Washington, DC.

I don’t know about you but his actions and the preceding bad behavior from the likes of Eric Massa and Elliot Spitzer and countless ones before them are just ridiculous. The line from the film “Forrest Gump,” of “stupid is as stupid does,” just keeps replaying in my mind. I really do not know what happens to people once they are elected and leave for the Capitol. Do they feel so disconnected and apart from reality that they can act on any impulse that pops into their minds? Did he and others really think that in today’s world of instant communication and knowledge that no one would notice?

Perhaps the greatest irony of this particular inane episode, is that last summer Lee penned an article directed at teens warning them about the dangers of cyberspace. He specifically cautioned young people that once you post something on the intranet it is out there for the world to see. The image can be downloaded and distributed to anyone and everyone. Well, Mr. Lee, you obviously did not heed your own advice.

I am not outraged by his actions. Unfortunately people cheat on their spouses all the time. As far as we know he did not even go that far. I know of no laws he violated – legally or morally. Instead it is his bad behavior and that of others that we are forced to encounter every day. What I am incensed over is the outright arrogance of him and others in political office who believe they are above the laws and mores of society. Do they really become so intoxicated by power that their brains cease to function? Don’t worry I am not headed towards the obvious joke but I just want to scream, “what were you thinking.”

Now do we have to look forward to the beleaguered wife to “stand by her man?” Let’s recount those who have, Hilary Rodham Clinton, Silda Wall Spitzer and Dina Matos McGreevey are just some of the more recent ones we have met. I truly applauded and cheered out loud when Jenny Sanford, the wife of disgraced South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford, kicked him to the curb after his public infidelity.

The Lee situation is just plain stupid. Now we will have to a fund special election. The spin monsters are already throwing names around like confetti. Maybe legislation should be enacted that requires disgraced politicians to use the remaining money from their campaign war chests to fund all or part of a special election? The constituents of the 26th Congressional District are without a House Congressional voice in Washington. Hopefully Governor Cuomo will call a special election sooner rather than later and not leave us hanging like his predecessor did with the Massa seat.

All of this also takes on an even more interesting vein when you consider the upcoming redistricting of Congressional seats. New York is projected to lose two Congressional seats. We all know that Western New York has endured a massive exodus of residents for over 20 years. How much will a vacant seat impact our Congressional district? All of these questions are beng debated because an individual decided to act on an impulse and ignore the consequences at hand. Chris Lee let down the people of the 26th Congressional District, his wife and most importantly his young son. I don’t know how he will explain himself to his son as explaining his actions to my young children was awkward enough.

Stay tuned as the saga will continue. Coming soon: a special election, media over exposure once he crawls out of his hole and faces the press hordes, and continued speculation as to why his resignation was so lightening fast. I can only hope that whoever is chosen to serve the people of the 26th Congressional District and those serving in office now put the people’s agenda first. Control yourselves and truly get down to doing the work of the people. Our trust in you is waning and it is up to those in office to prove to the people they represent that they are there to serve us. Your public demands it.

The charge of writing this blog is to discuss, ponder and elicit dialogue regarding issues unique to the Town of Greece. Typically this is not an overwhelming task as there always seems to be something or another happening in town. So please indulge me as I stray off topic just a bit during this epistle and focus on a snafu in yesterday’s edition of The Democrat and Chronicle.

Everyday I do the crossword puzzles in the newspaper. The crossword puzzle is almost sacred to me. My children know all too well “to just let mom do her puzzle.” Former bosses would even allow me to complete the puzzle before the official work day began. So yesterday, I settled in with a cup of coffee and my puzzles. First, I do The New York Times puzzle in the A section and then the Newsday one in the C section. The puzzles must be done in order as I am such a creature of habit that I would have it no other way.

Now, all of us crossword aficionados know that the difficulty level of the puzzles increase as the week progresses. So, Mondays are typically a cinch to complete and each day they become a little more challenging. Yesterday was Tuesday, which means a puzzle of so-so difficulty and I was expecting to finish this one off lickety split. Well, I could only complete a few clues. What? I re-read the puzzle – nothing. This was Tuesday. I mean, I am usually not even challenged until Thursday or Friday. A puzzle with less than five answers is typical for a Friday as the Saturday ones are darn near impossible to complete. I mean, it was Tuesday.

So after much frustration I switched to the Newsday puzzle and finished it off in no time flat. However, that was no consolation. I am never stumped by a Tuesday puzzle. The puzzle editor was the same but I did notice that the symmetry of the puzzle grid seemed off. The crossword puzzle is really more than just clues and answers, the puzzle itself is a work of art.

Today when I read the paper and was near the end of the A section I noticed that an extra puzzle was included in the paper. Apparently the wrong puzzle appeared in yesterday’s paper. What? That is like a frustrated puzzle solver’s dream come true. “The clues are impossible and no one can answer them. I bet the puzzle is wrong,” are thoughts that have crept into my puzzle addled mind. I mean that never happens and yet it did. So my dismal Tuesday turned out to be an extra puzzle Wednesday and all three were completed in record time. Now, I cannot wait for tomorrow’s challenge.

Caurie Putnam covers Greece and the rest of the west-side as the "West Extra" columnist for Our Towns. She is a proud west-side resident of two little boys who is in Greece often for yoga at Breathe, skate sharpening at Locker Room Sports, hockey games at Lakeshore, and much more. To share upcoming Greece events and items of interest with Caurie please email her at caurie@urgrad.rochester.edu or contact her on Twitter @CauriePutnam